Rain Rock Festival at Sohra in Meghalaya , formerly known as Cheerapunji

By D. Henpilen Sohra (Meghalaya), Mar 8 (ANI): The first ever ”Rain Rock Festival” was organised in Sohra on February 20 to explore prospects of eco-tourism in Meghalaya. The two-day festival entitled “unveil the destination” was aimed at showcasing Sohra, previously known as Cherrapunji, the spot known for highest rainfall in the world, as a possible world heritage site and tapping the tourist potential of the place. The festival offered an array of exciting and adventurous activities such as a rock concert, dance performances and indigenous games, which enthralled the huge crowd. Besides, the event also gave skilled artisans an opportunity to display the rich indigenous traditions of the Khasis to the villagers. Khasis were the earliest ethnic group of settlers inhabiting the eastern part of the state in the Khasi and Jaintia hills. Wancy Passah, a stall owner, expressed her support for the event, saying, ” This helps exposes villagers of the area to the items produced in the area and the kind of creativity of the people in the region. It helps them link to other markets and improve their products.” D. Choudhary, an organizer, said the purpose of the programme was to get Sohra on the tourism map of the world. The festival was organised by the local administration, in association with the Tourism Development Society and the Press Information Bureau. Such promotional activities organised in the form of festivals, exhibitions, awareness programmes have enhanced tourist traffic and generated revenue for the state. (ANI)